Plaiting machine



Jan. l2, 1954 s. MlcHLlN PLAITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l4 IN V EN TOR.

A 7' TOR/YLT Jan. 12, 1954 s. MlcHLlN PLAITING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1949 40INVENTOR.

/V/CHL//v ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 12, 1,954

UNITED s'rfr Tem orrlcr.

4 Claims.

- The presentinvention relates to an apparatus for plaiting sheet material. Plaited material is used in the manufacture of dresses, dress shirt bosoms and the like.` It is important that the material be plaited beforej being assembled `into the goods in as economicalV manner as possible.v Heretofore in making such material it generally has been ,necessary to plait the material by hand, a tedious and expensive operation. Prior devices have been made tomake the plaits by machine4 but generally have been limited to the making of a singleplait.. Such de.-Y vices, inv some cases, are adapted to be inserted in the plait and followed up with the usual hand pressing iron. Obvously,jsuch devices would not lend themselves to the .plaiting of a plurality of plaits in rolledmaterial to ybe cut up in the making of dresses or other articles.

The presentinventionV aims to overcome the foregoing difficulties` and disadvantages by providing an apparatusvforv plaiting sheet material in which a plurality vof plaits may be made simul. taneously, the number of plaits being limited only by the width of the material.

Another object of .the invention is to provide a plaiting apparatus whichis simple and economical in manufacture, efficient in operation and durable in use.

Still another object of :the invention is to provide a plaiting device which may be operated by unskilled labor.

In vaccordance with the invention, the foregoing objects are accomplished by an apparatus embodying a forming die into which the plaitis received, asphericalform .being insertednto the fold of the material utoalign is so that it is received by the die in the proper form.

The invention is advantageous in that the plaits may be of different sizes and may be positioned as closely together, or may be made to overlap, if desired. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, an embodiment of the invention.

Inthe drawings:v c

Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus in aca cordance with the invention,... Y Y Y Y Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4. is `anvenlarged view of a single unit of the apparatus for producing a single plait.

Figure 5 is a bottom view corresponding to Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical'sectional'view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line'lLfl of Figure 6. Y. l, Y

Referr'irigto the dfawingsftlier is shown' a 2 Y plaiting apparatus` i in accordance with thein'- vention comprising a vsupporting frame 2 having at one end a rollerf supporting Ymaterial fito be plaited, the frame ,having at its other end a pair-of mangle rollers 'l and 9.

Y The supporting frame 2 maybeof any suitable design and includes a nat table It which ispreferably heated as by steam pipes such as nused in clothes pressing machines. At theend of the table lil is a guiding trough l to vdirect the material E betweenthemangle rollers l and 9 which are heated in any suitable manner, preferably by steam, and provided with screw adjusting means I2 acting through a spring lll to adjustably and resiliently urge the mangle rollers together with` a desired pressure. The lroller 5 .is pivotally mounted as indicated at l5 and carries onits surface the material 6 which has previously hadv one or more tucks sewn along its length for the plaits.

A plaiting device or plait former It may be V xedly attached to the supportingvframe but preferably is unattached as shown in Figure 1 for hand manipulation as the vmaterial is fed over the supporting table il). The plaiting .device i6 comprises a plurality of plaiting units il, each of which may be similarly constructed as shown in Figures 4 through 'I although each may be made in different sizes.

A supporting and manipulation means 1.9 for the yplaiting device |16 may be made of wood'or other suitable material and has attached on its front surface apair of guide members 20 and 2| positioned facing each other and spaced at .a somewhatrgreater amount than the width of the plait. The guide members 2d and 2i have their outer ends 22 and 2li flaredlaway from eachother,

and their inner endslZ and 26 areturned out-v wardly and apertured to receive retaining screws 2l for attachment to the supporting member i9.

A spherical member. 30 is provided to open a tuck r3l sewn Vin* the material for the plait. The spherical member 3 9 may be of `any suitable ma,` terial and, preferably,fis made with a .polished surface so as to reduce -the friction between it,v

and the inner surface of the tuck, and is ofrra size so that it'snugly fits in the tuck,` its purpose being'ftostraighten ou-tthe material .prior to its passage into an internal dieto form the plait.

-The die r such as sheet metal'or'plasticor it maybe molded or castV of anysuitafole material to provide an internal die surface as shown in Figure 7. The die 32 as illustrated is shaped of sheet material starting from anat surface llbyl turning its sides E5 and 3 5 back over the flat portion v3d leaving a space 31 betweenthe two surfaces and aeainbendineilie outer edsspof the vstriaoutto form outerl edge 219 andv 40 providingja bas* 32.15' farmed yof any'suitabie material material E. A space 4| is left between the surfaces 38 and 40 to receive the stitched surface of the tuck Which is received in the space 31. Spacing members 62 and 44 are used to hold the surfaces 39 and 40 away from the supporting member I9, the formed die being secured in position against the supporting member I9 by screws d5 extending through apertures in the surfaces 39 and 40 into the supporting member I9.

As may be seen in Figures 4 through 6, the internal die 32 has a length approximately equal to the width of the supporting member I9, its leading edge being turned upwardly as indicated at 4E to provide a flared end to receive the material to be plaited. The base surfaces 39 and 40 are extended ahead of the frame i9 to provide a leading edge to facilitate threading the tuck into'the passage M and to start the material through the plaiting device. The leading endsY of the surfaces 39 and lil may be cut at an angle as indicated at $1 and 49.

It is obvious that the plaits may be made of different sizes provided the spherical member 30 is made of a size to snugly t Within the tuck` and the die 32 is made large enough to receive and form the plait.

In using the device, the material E to be plaited is placed on the roller 5 having preformed tucks 3| on its upper surface along its length at the desired positions for the plaits, the tucks being of the desired size for the plait. Spherical members 3B are inserted in the tuck in the edge of the material and the material then is threaded through the internal die 32. Steam is applied to the steam table lll and to the mangles 'I and 9. As the material'is pulled through the mangle rollers 'i and S it is drawn through the internal die 32, the spherical members l5 straightening the tuck so that it enters the internal die 32 conforming to the internal surface thereof. As the material has been steamed it is quite exible and readily assumes the desired shape of the plait. The movement of the material 6 through the internal die moves the spherical member 3B through the tuck. The manges 1 and 8 heat and dry the material 6 and set the plaits.

It is thus apparent that an apparatus for plaiting has been provided Which overcomes the difficulties and disadvantages of prior devices in that the material may be cheaply and speedily processed utilizing apparatus which is simple and economical in manufacture Vand durable in use.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a specic embodiment thereof, it will be understood that other embodiments may be resorted to without departing from the invention. For example, While the plaiting devices have been shown Aas placed side by side, in alternative constructions the devices might be positioned in a staggered relationship so that plaits may be formed overlapping each other or in other desired configurations. Therefore, the form of the invention set out above should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

claim:

1. A plaiting apparatus for tucked material, each tuck having an attached-together portion, comprising a plait former including a passage therethrough defined by entrance and exit ends, the entrance end of the passage expanded to receive'a tuck in expanded form, the exit end 4 of the passage shaped to conform to the crosssectional outline of the fmished plait, the plait former passage having a longitudinally extending section of reduced diameter to guide the attached-together portion of the tuck, and a spherical member of a size to be received in the tuck for the expansion thereof, the entrance end smaller than the spherical member, the spherical member When positioned in the tuck held against the entrance end of the passage in the plait former by movement of the material through the plait former.

2. A plaiting apparatus for tucked material comprising aiA plait former having a passage therethrough defined by entrance and exit ends, the entrance end of the passage expanded to receive a tuck in expanded form, the exit end of the passage shaped to conform to the outline of the finished plait, heating means operatively connected to the apparatus for softening the material to be plaited, and a spherical member of a size to be received in the tuck furthe expansion thereof, the spherical member when positioned in the tuck held against the entrance end of the passage in the plait former by movement of the material through the plait former, the said heated material shaped into a plait by the plait former.

3. A plaiting apparatus for tucked material comprising a plait former having a passage therethrough defined by entrance and exit ends, the entrance end iiared to receive a tuck in expanded form, the exit end flattened and shaped to conform to the outline of the finished plait, steaming means operatively connected to the apparatus for softening the material to be plaited, and a spherical member having a diameter such that it fills the tuck and is movable therethrough for the expansion thereof, the spherical member when positioned in the tuck held against the entrance end of the passage in the plait former and moved through the tuck by movement of the material through the plait former, the steamed material shaped into a plait by the plait former.

4. A plaiting apparatus for tucked material comprising a plait former having a passage therethrough defined by entrance and exit ends, the entrance end flared to receive a tuck in expanded form, the exit end flattened and shaped to `conform to the outline of the finished plait, steaming means operatively connected to the apparatus for softening the material to be plaited,

mangle means for pressing the plaited material,

and a spherical member having a diameter such that it lls the tuck and ismovable therethrough for the expansion thereof, the spherical member when positioned in the tuck held against the' entrance end of the passage in the plait former and moved through the tuck by movement of the material through the plait former, the steamed material shaped into a plait by the plait former and pressed by the mangle means to aid in maintaining its plaited shape.`

SAM MICHLIN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PA'IENTCS V 

